Auditor: EDD database shows mix-up with many Social Security numbers

State auditor releases report Thursday morning

A database that tracks wages paid to California residents shows potential identity theft, including many instances when a single Social Security number was linked to 10 or more different names, according to a state audit.

The report, released by the state auditor on Thursday morning, cites more than 1,400 instances in a single quarter where one Social Security number was associated with more than 10 names.

In one instance, a Social Security number was linked to 162 different names, according to the report.

The auditor’s investigation focused on the Employment Development Department and the agency’s services to veterans looking for work.

However, a spokesperson for the auditor said the issue with Social Security numbers has the potential to affect any Californian, not just veterans.

KCRA 3 is awaiting information from EDD about the results of the audit, which also show that the agency is not meeting its own goals for grant money it receives from the U.S. Department of Labor.

EDD received a letter from the federal agency earlier this year, saying that California is among the lowest-performing states when it comes to measuring whether veterans participating in the grant program find work.